Hi friend,
Last week someone said something to me that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.
Surprisingly it wasn't criticism, or advice. It was a short few sentences on a zoom call that might have easily been overlooked as side comment to some, but these words have forever changed the way I will think about credibility.
This Week's Investigation
What actually makes someone credible?
This week, I was on a Zoom call with a group of veterinary professionals when someone asked:
“Who’s your favorite veterinary influencer?”
People started throwing out names. Then someone said: "I mean... Suzanne's the biggest influencer on this call."
I laughed. Not because I was trying to be humble. I genuinely don't think of myself that way.
Then one of the women on the call said something I’ll never forget: “You’ve changed the way I think about leadership.”
She didn’t mention my MBA or anything on my résumé. She didn’t mention my years in veterinary operations or as a credentialed veterinary technician.
She remembered how I made her think, how I made her feel.
and in that moment I realized I may have been measuring credibility with the wrong yardstick.
I wrote the full story:
READ IT HERECredentials may open the door, but credibility is built when people leave thinking differently than when they arrived.
This Week’s Leadership Question
When someone leaves a conversation with you, what do you hope they remember?
Your title?
Your experience?
Your confidence?
Or how they felt because of the way you led that conversation?
Things we forget are normal in leadership:
✨ Wanting to prove we belong
✨ Thinking another credential will finally make us feel ready
✨ Forgetting that trust is built in small moments
✨ Wondering if people actually see the work we’re doing
✨ Needing someone else to reflect our impact back to us
Join the Investigation
Last night I delivered the first live version of Leadership Without a Playbook.
It was small, but it was real, and it sparked exactly the kind of conversation I hoped it would.. but then technology decided not to record it.
So, we’re doing it again.
I’m hosting Leadership Without a Playbook: An Investigation again on Wednesday, July 9 at 3:00 PM ET.
If you’ve ever wondered whether leadership feels difficult because of who you are…
or because nobody ever handed you the systems, language, and operating principles to succeed…
I’d love to have you join us.
SAVE YOUR SEATThe Leading Veterinary Teams Community is our free community for veterinary leaders who want real conversations about leadership, communication, accountability, and the systems underneath it all.
It’s free right now, but it won’t stay that way forever.
JOIN FREE WHILE IT'S OPENField Notes From This Week
🗂 I finally delivered the webinar
After weeks of overthinking, rebuilding, questioning, and refining, I delivered the first version of Leadership Without a Playbook.
Five people registered. Two came live.
And honestly? It was exactly what I needed.
Not because the numbers were huge (because they weren't but also 40% is 40% so hey - a win is a win - amIright?! 😅), but because the idea finally left my brain and entered a room with real humans!
and that matters!
🎙 Podcast update
This week’s podcast is coming a little later than usual because the investigation webinar fully took over my brain.
Instead of forcing a random episode, I’m recording something connected to this same conversation: credibility, leadership, and why the way we think matters as much as what we know.
Stay tuned!
Until then, check out this oldie but goodie with Dr Coates!
📖 What I’m Thinking About
I keep coming back to this idea:
People don’t always remember what you taught them. They remember what shifted because of you.
That feels important so I wanted to share.
🕵️ Open Your Case File
Every investigation starts with understanding the facts.
Before you can build a better leadership operating system, you need to know where your current one stands.
That's why I created the CLARITY Leadership Assessment.
In just a few minutes, you'll uncover your leadership strengths, identify the areas creating the most friction, and receive a personalized snapshot of where to focus next.
Think of it as Case File #000.
The investigation starts with you.
Take the CLARITY Leadership AssessmentFrom The Feed This Week
A few IG posts worth revisiting this week:
What I want you to do this week:
Think about one conversation you have this week.
Afterward, ask yourself:
Did this person leave thinking differently than when they walked in?
Not because you needed to impress them with some credential (obviously), or because you need to prove yourself, but because leadership is built in the moments where someone feels seen, challenged, steadied, or more capable because of the way you showed up.
One more thing…
What’s one belief about leadership that you’ve changed your mind about over the years?
Hit reply and tell me. I’d genuinely love to know!
Talk soon,
Founder, Leading Veterinary Teams